and piety O that all men in all places of all callings would make it their businesse to doe good and distribute some way or other Titus Vespasian counted that day lost in which he had done good to no one O Amici Amici diem perdidi my friends my friends I have lost a day O let not us Christians be ashamed to learn some what of Heathens 't is our excellency to come neer God to be the Children of our Father which is in Heaven We cannot come neer to God in any thing more than in doing good For the inciting of you I shall present you with these Motives 1. Consider that charity is the very life the soul and as it were the essence of Religion True Religion doth not consist so much in contemplation and speculation as in practise and action it is not so much the work of the head and the tongue as of the heart and the hand Me thinks now a dayes Religion is dwindled into frothy airy love quenching disputations We are all head no heart we are like Children sicke of the rickets our heads are swollen bigger than our whole bodies we are so far from works of charity that we cannot afford one another Charitable words but I would have such Bountefeaus such fire brands of the Church to know that no mans private humour is valueable with the Churches peace though he did shine in it as a Starre of the first magnitude Whoever gets by such disputes I am sure the Church looseth Me thinks the Divines of England are like so many unnatural Sons like so many Neroes ripping up the bowells of their own Mother the Church It had bin better that many of them had never been than that they had been so seditious 'tWere well if they would bestow some of those precious hours that they spend in scribling one against another in binding up the broken comforting the comfortlesse visiting the sicke according to that in Jam. I. 17. This is pure Religion and undefiled before God to visit the Fatherlesse and the Widowes in their affliction 2. Consider that good works are the best evidences of a good faith of a true saving justifying faith When I see the fruits of good works I cannot but conclude that the Tree of faith is alive When our Saviour had cured the man with the withered hand he bids him to testify that it was whole stretch it forth stretch forth thy hand O my beloved if ye would shew me that the sinewes of your faith are not shrunk that the hands of your charity are not withered stretch thē forth Excellent is that of the Apostle shew me thy faith by thy works Not by thy words but by thy works a workelesse faith is a worthlesse faith Though it be faith alone that justifieth yet it is not an alone solitary unaccompanied faith though it be the fore finger alone that points in the hand yet it is not alone when it pointes Faith in the soul is like a Queen attended with a Royal traine of other graces as maidens of honour Me thinks I hear faith Rachel like crying out give me Children or else I dye O how lovely a sight it is to see the Vine of faith laden with the clusters of good works 3. Consider that whatsoever ye doe to any of Christs poor members he looks upon it as done to himself And me thinks this motive should be of great force with you me thinks 〈◊〉 should strive who should first doe Christ a good turn When a man gives an 〈◊〉 he should not so much look at the member of Christ as at Christ in the member and though he doth not give him any thin◠for his own yet he should give him somewhat for Christs sake Suppose Christian thou sawest Christ himself that spilt his precious blood for thee comming to thy doors and asking a bit of bread couldst thou have the heart or the face to deny him Surely thou wouldst not be so rocky hearted 't is all one and if thou doubtest of this beleeve Christ himself that saith so Matth. 25. 40. In as much as ye have done it to the lest of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Christ gave us all and me thinks we should by way of gratitude give him somewhat again 4. Consider that that which is given to the poor is a meās to sanctify that which we have He that gives God any thing he is wont to repay him in greater abundance The Sydonian Womans Oyl that was poured into empty vessels never ceased running If we would have our Oyl alwayes to run we must pour it into empty vessels The Widows Oyl consumed not as long as she fed the Prophet Eccles. 11. 1. Cast thy bread upon the Waters and thou fhalt find it after many dayes That bread is not cast away that is cast upon the Waters Psol 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor blessed in his estate blessed in his Children blessed here blessed hereafter 5. Consider that whatever ye give the poor on earth God will give it you in Heaven nay ten thousand times more according to that give and it shall be given unto you Though I doe not say here with the Papists that good works are meritorious of Heaven yet this I say that God is pleased to bestow Heaven upon those that doe good works those that testify their faith by their works That a piece of Leather is currant it is not from the value that is in the thing it self but from the value that the Prince puts upon it as St. Augustine Deus non coronat merita tua sed dona sua God crowns not any merit in thee but his own gifts We doe not goe to Heaven because we doe good works but because God hath promised to give us Heaven if we doe good works according to those places lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven a good foundation for the time to come And happy is the man that layes out treusures on earth that he may receive treasures in Heaven Happy is the man that treads upon his riches and makes them a ladder to climbe up thither happy is the man that exchangeth his gold for that street of the new Jerusalem that is of pure gold Happy is the man that by giving to the poor can turn his Pactolus his River of gold into those Rivers of pleasures which are at Gods right hand for evermore O lend God somewhat in this World and he will surely pay you in the World to come O give the poor your bread here and God will give you the bread of life hereafter and you shall hear that sweet sentence come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungry and ye gave me bread thirsty and ye gave me drink naked and ye cloathed me To which Kingdome God of his infinite goodnesse bring us all and lead us through the Kingdome of grace into the Kingdome of glory for his Son Jesus Christs sake FINIS ERRATA P. 15. l. 10 your 2d Sermon p. 5. l. 3. the meaning l. 6. divine philosophicall l. 7. philosophical Such l. 29. bee brow-beaten p. 7. l. 25. their fathers had p. 8. l. 25. courts p. 9. l. 9. similitude p. 10. l. 1. of the Prince of the aire l. 4. your father p 13. l. 1. denied our Saviours l. 4. the truth So much l. 5. the use I shall make of it is p. 16. l. 24. received p. 17. l. 4. Minister p. 24. l. 18 these p. 29. l. 22. Concionis p. 31. l. 21. here the souls p. 33. l. 12. give us 3d Sermon p. 3. l. 2. Lord loved p. 10. l 4. King so that p. 11. l. ult struck p 12. l. 6. formost 4th Sermon p 2. l. 28. beneficentiae communionis p. 19. l. 4. in the obeying
Word workes judgements mercies providences nay even their very afflictions The whole creation serves them and surely they are blame-worthy if they doe not in a more eminent manner serve the creator Souls in some respect are like bodies some bodies are drawn in bright and orient colours as if nature had made use of a Sun beam for her pensil others are drawn in more dusky coale-like colours The brightest colours have aliquid umbrae and the darkest aliquid lucis If we look into the excellencies of the Soul those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those internal colours of the soul we may see the same God hath given some more glittering souls bespangled with light from the Sun of righteousnesse souls embroydred with all perfections here acquirable He hath been pleased to give others more sad and dark coloured Spirits as the brightest souls have somewhat of a cloud to teach them humility so the darkest have somewhat of a beam to keep them from discouragement and that others may not insult over them Those that have the brightest souls God expects they should shine like Stars in the Firmamēt Let your light so shine that men seing your good works may glorify your Father which is in Heaven God hath open'd the Scholars mouth therefore he exspects his lips should shew forth his praises The rich man is Gods Lord treasurer he is the hand of God and he expects it should be alwayes opened to the necessities of the poor and needy he should be like the mercies of God beneficial to the whole World at once God may accept of Turtle Doves and young Pigeons from the poor but he expects that the rich should bring their Plate Gold and Jewels to the Temple God expects that Bezaliels and Aholiabs that are cunning to work in Gold should not onely build or lay common stones but carve and polish the Tempe Eunapius calls a mean Scholar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a drop of Helicon and surely if a mean Scholar be a drop of Helicon a good Scholar is all Helicon or rather an Ocean of learning And if so God requires an Ocean of service from him an Ocean of service is but propottionable to an Ocean of learning Though the whole World besides be but as the dry heath and barren Wildernesse yet the Chuch is the Eden of the World the Paradise of God and in Paradise if any where God may look for Trees bearing fruit pleasant to the taste Christians should be men of better lives than uncultitated Barbarous Asiaticks Affricans Americans 2. The second argument is drawn from the nature of perfection Christians should be perfect if so thy must doe somewhat more than others for he that is more perfect in his profession than another doth a great deal more than he in it be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And can a man be as perfect as his Father which is in Heaven No there is a twofold perfection a perfection of of equallity and a perfection of similitude we cannot be like our Father as to the former but we may as to the latter We have onely somewhat like God in us as to every grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be not many times so legible And he that would attain to this perfection must do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat extraordinary somewhat above and more than others That man that would have the World believe that he is one of the best Musitians in it his compositions must be more sweet rare and harmonious than other mens his judgement must be more solidd and piercing his hand must be more commanding he must be all ear and a man would say what ever other mens souls were yet his was nothing but harmony He that would be accounted a rare Painter must draw better pictures than thousands of ordinary Painters can he must so draw a man that it would be a hard matter to tell whether it were the man himself or his picture if any one should come into the room if he did not know the man very well yet presently salutes his picture as deeming it to be the very man himself if he cannot do so he disgraces his profession he doth not doe it to the life He that either really is or would be accounted one of the best Orators in the universe saies thus to his words Goe smite spirits wound soules captivate affections command hearts be victorious make sure of passions he steeres a congregation with an expression he never is look'd upon but either with an eye of envy or admiration or both and he that eyes his auditors gathers by their looks and deportments that their bodies nay their very soules have nothing else to doe for that time but like servants and willing prisoners to wait upon and attend his speeches And it is the great unhappinesse of the universe that it hath not one eare and that chained to his soule ravishing soule enthralling discourses And if it should happen not to be so 't is not because Rhetorick wants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat to perswade but because the Orator wants Rhetorick surely if a man had had the happinesse to have heard golden Mouthed sweet tongued Cicero though he had never seen him he need not aske who it was Cicero would have spoken it had been Cicero though he had spoken not a word about that thing Aristotle was accounted the best Philosopher in the world in his time because he did more than all others and wrote better hence is that deserved commendation of M. Hooker that he had discover'd allmost more of natures Mysteries in the whole body of Philosophy then the whole series of ages since hath in any particular member thereof The Christian that would be perfect must do more then Pharisees Publicans Heathens Ordinary Christians He is more Eagle-eyed in spiritualls then others his judgement is more solid and searching his thoughts are more orderly and harmonious his affections are more spirituall and Christ-like his whole conversation is more becoming the Gospell than thousands of other mens his whole life is nothing else but a continued Sermon He is full of Faith patience humility heavenly-mindednesse contentednesse mortification of sinne moderation of passion and he knows very well how to rule his tongue which is no small matter And were the Bible and all graces lost which God forbid we might find them all in him though not in their perfect degrees yet as to all their parts not only inchoated but above halfe finished If a Prince should offer him his Scepter he would refuse it as judging that nothing but heaven could make his condition better If he owes a man any thing though he be five hundred mile off yet out of Conscience he paies him and dares doe no otherwise If any one affronts him he forgives him long before he askes forgivenesse and though he did never aske yet he would doe so He never looks into the world but to look upon it
to fix on Lactantius tells us that Philosophy is nothing else but opinion And Austine in his book de Civit. Dei tells us that Philosophi sunt potins opinantes quam scientes Though Philosophy be nothing else but a heap of disputables a crow'd of it may bees yet Divinity should not be so Whether all things be made of Atoms or Aristotles principles it is not much material never soul was saved or damn'd for these opinions A great wit may find a way as probable as either But whether the soul be immortal or no whether there will be a day of judgement or not it highly concernes us to be sure of those things for if there be no judgement men may live as they list but if there be they must live as they should States men for the prevention of divisions have somewhat in Goverment indubitable and so should Church men if one Preach up universal redemption another Preach it down who shall the sequacious pendulous people believe me thinks having an unerring rule to square by we should agree in fundamentals at least wise if not in circumstantials 4. Necessary usefull Truths not Toyes Trifles barren and unprofitable Notions subtile speculations It should be the great care of a Divine to Preach those things that may make most for the edification of his Auditory he should shew them their damnable deplorable estate by Nature the True means of their recovery by Christ Preach about Faith Repentance Charity Love Humility Heavenly mindednesse Contentednesse Heaven Hell Death Judgement to come fully instruct them in the Lords Prayer and ten Commandements T is not impossible for a man to come here often and scarce heare a word of any of these This I speak not to disparage those that doe well but because I would have some doe better I could wish that the fundamentalls of Religion were more Preacht Proud men think it inconsistent with the greatnesse of their parts and sublimity of their wits to iusist upon these they are much like Angelus Politianus that would not vouchsafe to read the Scriptures because as he thought they did not containe elegancies suitable to his florid stile and Genius They think these things belong to men of weaker and slenderer parts they will exercise themselves in more refined and curious speculations they will Marshall the Angells and know what God did before he made the World who looks upon the Sunn but in an Eclipse who takes cognizance of the Moon but when Travelling a blazing Comet is more look't upon then all the regular stars in heaven the Kings dwarfe hath more eyes upon him then all the proper personable men that the King hath If a man Preach a solid substantiall peece upon some ordinary usefull poynt in Divinity we take no great notice of it but if some haeretick in Divinity preach a peece made up of meere staggering drunken probabilities present us with some spurious mishapen Brat of his own intellect which he can prove to be legitimate neither by Scripture nor reason this is cry'd up for a man of rare parts elevated advanced intellectualls So apt are wee Athenian like to admire nay even to adore Toyes and Novelties 5. Ancient Apostolick truths I do not mean here antiquity of a later standing such as the Papists pretend to but Originall prime antiquitie Old truths like old goverments are best Innovations in Church and State being equally dangerous Those truths are most Authentique that are as old as Christ and his Apostles An old truth like an old musicall Instrument sounds best in the eare of all good men Tertullian tells us Verum quod prius Adulterinum quod posterius It is good coyn that is first stamped and afterward that which is counterfeit The Husbandman first sowed good seed and then the envious man sowed tares This was the unanimous crie of the Councell of Calcedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Ancient things prevaile Blessed be God which hath in mercy restored our ancient goverment both in Church and State 6. Particular applied truths Generalia non pungunt generall Truths never pierce a soule or wound a Conscience Generall truths like the Papists generall faith never save a soule It is not a loafe whole that nourisheth but cut and eaten Spices are never more fragrant then when they are broken Nathan tells David which I think little thought of it thou art the Man S. Peter doth not mince the matter but tells the Jewes plainly and piercingly that they had murthered Christ And what was the effect of this soul searching soul peircing preaching when they heard these things they were pricked at the heart and there were three thousands of them converted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was with them at if rapier points had been stuck in their spirits S. Paul might have entertained that Tyrant Faelix with some plausible discourse of the wonderfull birth life and death of Christ but he takes another course with him he reasons of righteousnesse temperance and judgement to come and this made him tremble He opposed righteousnesse to his briberies Temperance to his adulteries and judgement to come to his outragious insolencies 7. Peaceable truths Ministers are the servants of the God of Peace Embassadors of the Gospell of Peace they what ever other men are should be men of Peace they should be like the Cherubins of the Arke look upon one another with propitious Aspects the good Divine should not only pray but Preach for the Peace of Jerusalem Rogamus non Pugnamus Auguste was wont to be the language of the Church formerly it hath no weapons but those of prayers and teares Popish was the practice of the Covenanters that brought us hither a punie upstart Mushrome yesterday Religion upon the poynt of asword and truly had their swords been no keener then their arguments I think they might have been soon blunted 4. I proceed in the fourth place to tell you some truths which I think to be suitable to and convenient for this Auditory 1. That Arts and Sciences should be subservient and ancillatorie to Divinity that the Hagar of Humanity should not outbrave the Sarah of Divinity it must not justle it out and take up the best roomes in a Sermon how then comes it to passe that many of your Sermons are stuft with all Arts and Sciences but Divinity How comes it to passe that instead of making the Spouse borders of Gold with studds of silver a great many of you make her borders of brasse with studds of Tinn and pewter Are they not like Onesilaus his head that instead of braines was full of hony-combes When the Persian King sent Antalcidas the Lacedimonian Captain a Garland of flowers perfum'd with spices and odours he tells him Rosarum fragrantiam adulteratione perdidisti so may I say to many of you Concioneis majestatem adulteratione perdidistis With admirable fitnesse did the learned K. Iames compare such Sermons to the red and blew flowers that pester the corne which were
as to the heart of the giver Hence it was that the poor Widows mite was so acceptable she did not only cast her mite but her heart also into the treasury 4. Cheerefully cheerefulnesse it puts a lustre upon an action and makes it amiable in the eyes of God and men God loves a cheerefull giver one that is as willing to give as a poor man is to aske Gods will should be done on earth as it is in Heaven the Angels are said to have wings because of their alacrity and cheerfulnesse the obeying of Gods commands The cheerfulnesse of our countenances should denote the willingnesse of our hearts 5. Affably with a great deal of affability and humanity it is not good to insult over men in misery if we will not relieve them yet we should not abuse them the softnesse of our tongues should denote the softnesse of our hearts We are not onely to give good things but also good words ill is the custome of those that give men good things and bad words it is to be feared that they give out of some sinister end and not out of a fellowfeeling of their Brethrens miseries it is to be feared that where their words are so hard their hearts are hard and unrelenting An act of mercy should be done mercifully 6. Quickly speedly his dat qui cito dat he gives twice that gives quickly We should be as ready to relieve our poor weak sicke Brethren as they are to aske relief Many a man is so long in giving his almes that the poor man dyes before it comes But such slow motions tell us that charity is allmost if not quite dead Questionlesse if we were ready to dye for hunger our selves we would make more haste to the cupboard Prov. 3. 28. Say not to thy Neighbour goe and come again to morrow when thou hast it by thee 7. We must doe good out of a right principle and to a right end Actio bona vel mala est ex circumstantiis circumstances denominate an action either good or bad and of circumstances the end hath not the lest stroke in the denomination of an action Our good actions must flow from a principle of faith and be directed to Gods glory as their ultimate end this is the grand end of all this is that mark at which we ought to aime in all our thoughts words and actions this is that for which man the Epitome of the World and the Master piece of Gods creation was made That action is to no end that is not to a right end A thing is not presently good that is good in it self unlesse it be also well done a thing may be good materially and yet bad formally a Heathen may doe a good action and yet not doe it well then we give aright when we give in obedience to Gods command and that we may testify our thankfulnesse So much may suffice for the fifth thing the manner how we are to doe it I proceed in the 6. place to shew you some of those publicke uses for which we are to lay out our riches some of those publicke wayes of doing good These publicke uses they are either civil or Ecclesiastical Civil when a man layes out his estate for the good of the common-wealth Ecclesiastical when a man layes out his estate for the good of the Church both these wayes of expressing our charity are very commendable have deservedly rendred many famous Aurelius commends Vespasian for a brave Prince because at his own charge he repaired the Capitoll the Temple of peace and the monument of Claudius 't is for Augustus his honour that he found Rome all brick but left it all Marble Trajan deservedly hath the honour of Dions pen because he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many necessary works for the good of the Commonwealth Magnificeuce is one of the fairest flowers in a Princes Garland one of the richest Jewels in his Crown Princes formerly were reputed good or bad according to those publike edifices that they had built As good actions to the Commonwealth prove a mans love to it so doe good actions to the Church argue a mans love to Religion and they are no lesse to be commended that have laid out their estates for the good of Churches and Colledges David did not think it became him to dwell in an house of Cedars when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord remained under curtaines he had a good mind to build God an house And it was not the lest of Solomons praises that he did so that he was a builder of the Temple Gods Children are not transformers of Churches into Barnes and Stables but they are described to be such as shall build up the old waste places such as raise up the foundation of many generations When the Jewes would commend the Centurion to our Saviour they represent him under this notion he was one that loved their Nation and built them a Synagogue He had done them an eminent courtesy and therefore he was worthy to receive one No lesse are they to be honoured that have been Benefactours to Colledges and Schools of learning 2 King 6. 1. When the Sons of the Prophets went to fetch beams for the inlarging of their dwellings Elisha went along with them Eminent was the charity of the ancients this way they did shew us that the Tree of faith was a live by the fruits of their good works The two famous beauties of our Nation Oxford Cambridge had many rich lovers that presented them with large gifts If we may believe Bucero as large as any in the whole World King Henry the VIII and Cardinal Woolsey were Founders of that royall and ample foundation of Christs Church in Oxford Baliol King of the Scots was Founder of Baliol. Sr. William Peter augmented Exceter Colledge Sr. Thomas White Alderman of London augmented and restored St. Johns Mr. Wadham was Founder of Wadham University Colledge had or its Founder Munificent Alfred King of the Saxons and for its Benefactours William of Durham Sr. Simon Benet and divers others The Jewell that is illustrated by the Sun collours the Sun beams The earth receiveth moisture from the akie and repayee it back again in waters it is but just and equall that we should give their memories the honour due unto them that gave us so much Why should not Moecenas have an Horace to tell of his liberality Though he that gives should say nothing yet he that receives sould say some thing though the name of the wicked doe rot yet the name of a Benefactour like a Box of precious ointment smells sweet in the nostrils of all good men The names of our noble and wise Benefactours should not be mentioned with out due respect and liberall Testimonies of their Excellencies It is but just that their names should live that made so many to live O what great cause have we to be thankfull to God for such men and to indeavour to write after